The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising a vehicle occupant protection device, and particularly relates to a gas generating material for providing inflation gas for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
An inflator for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protect ion device, such as an air bag, contains an ignitable gas generating material. The inflator further includes an igniter. The igniter is actuated so as to ignite the gas generating material when the vehicle experiences a collision for which inflation of the air bag is desired. As the gas generating material burns, it generates a volume of inflation gas. The inflation gas is directed into the air bag to inflate the air bag. When the air bag is inflated, it expands into the vehicle occupant compartment and helps to protect the vehicle occupant.
It is desirable that the gas generating material for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device meet a number of technical requirements. For instance, the gas generated by combustion of the gas generating material should be substantially free of toxic materials. Moreover, the gas generated by combustion of the gas generating material should be essentially smoke-free and should have a low water content. The gas generating material must be chemically and physically stable over a wide temperature range (i.e., about xe2x88x9240xc2x0 C. to about 110xc2x0 C.), and should have ignition and combustion characteristics suitable for use in a vehicle occupant protection device.
The present invention is an apparatus that comprises a vehicle occupant protection device and a gas generating material, which, when ignited, produces gas to actuate the vehicle occupant protection device. The gas generating material comprises a cubane compound having the formula: 
wherein R is selected from the group consisting of H and NO2.
Preferably, the gas generating material further comprises an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of alkali metal nitrates, alkaline earth metal nitrates, transition metal nitrates, ammonium nitrate, alkali metal chlorates, alkaline earth metal chlorates, alkali metal perchlorates, alkaline earth metal perchlorates, ammonium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.